


you and me (never need be lonely again)

by mediocre_timing



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Blades of Marmora, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Keith (Voltron), Pining, Slow Burn, because we both wear loving shiro hats, but there's a twist that i can't disclose yet, general cuteness, i had to rewatch the episode for the Lore and it was nice to see how much keith grew, keith is called yorak sometimes, oh shiro's galra name is kuron
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-13 03:43:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17480504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mediocre_timing/pseuds/mediocre_timing
Summary: The newest Blade's biceps and thighs guarantee immediate death for anyone who provokes him, yet he's as docile as a kitten and Keith is already preparing the wedding vows.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from "Please Never Fall in Love Again" by Ollie MN, you should give it a listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title comes from "Please Never Fall in Love Again" by Ollie MN.

The Trials of Marmora are **not** meant to be easy.

They weren’t easy when Keith underwent them if the jagged scar on his shoulder was any indicator or the way Kuron clutched his side as he ran toward another Blade. Wincing as Kuron went down in one fell swoop, Antok had managed to sweep him off his feet. Kuron had gotten up for all the previous encounters, but this one had clearly left him winded. Keith sympathized with him, it didn’t seem so long ago that he had been bruised and battered on that floor.

“You cannot win, surrender now and the pain will cease.”

Kolivan’s blank expression revealed none of his thoughts as if though the trial was nothing but a chore he had to do. Hours ago, the older Blade had admitted his interest in Kuron joining them, he had almost seemed delighted a few hours ago at the prospect of him awakening the blade that had skidded out of Kuron’s reach. It had happened before-- cases of an individuals going through Trials and failing to awaken their blades, Keith’s heart ached at the devastated expressions some wore as they were led to the hangar, some begged to be given another shot, but the Blades didn’t make exceptions. If you failed to awaken your blade, you hadn’t managed to grasp the meaning of it, you had gained no wisdom during the trial and for the Blades it was knowledge or death. Granted, nobody was killed if they failed the trials, they were simply banished from their headquarters.

Kuron had managed to get up, he was tall compared to the other Blades, but still a few inches shorter than Antok. He was fast despite his larger build, long legs covering a greater distance as he ran toward the discarded blade, turning to face Antok with blade in hand. His big ears were pinned against his head, teeth bared as he lunged forward. It was easy to assume he would be a brute, solely relying on his strength, but Kuron was smart on his feet, catching onto Antok’s style. Besides Kuron’s frustrated grunts and their blades clashing, it was silent in the examination room until he snarled, putting all his force into the next swing that brought his blade up to Antok’s neck. Frankly, it wouldn’t stop a Blade as experienced as Antok, but he stepped back away from the glinting blade.

“Do you yield?” Kuron’s voice was ragged, his chest heaving, yet his hold on the blade was stable. Apparently silence was not good enough of an answer because he repeated himself in a steely tone, stepping forward until he was looking up at Antok. “Do _you_ yield?”

One curt nod from Antok had him backing down, Kuron grinned displaying his sharp teeth again then ran toward the door into the next room. The supposed victory had clearly given him a boost of energy that came to a halt as soon as the suit’s mindscape programming began. The suit created a mindscape that reflected the wearer’s greatest fears...Kolivan had mentioned it also showed their greatest hopes, that never seemed to be the case. Kuron’s eyes widened at whatever the suit was showing him, he stood frozen and Keith was tempted to call it off, he had fought without complaint, he had gotten every single time, yet whatever he was seeing was bad enough to paralyze him.

“Sendak…”

Kolivan’s ears twitched.

"I won't let you get them!" Kuron’s smug expression had crumbled replaced with fear, it was no surprise seeing Sendak would cause him to panic, he was Zarkon’s first in command and he was ruthless in all he did. Closing his eyes to spare himself from watching Kuron claw at his body, Keith prepared himself to hear Kolivan announce his failure-- it never came.

“He has awoken his blade.” The statement came out surprised, the flash of the blade awakening had managed to filter through his eyelids and once he opened his eyes to see Kuron on his knees, he saw how the blade had elongated, fearsome and sharp. Clearly the mindscape had shaken him up, it was obvious he hadn’t noticed the blade’s transformation, the new Blade slumped. Exhaustion weighed down broad shoulders.

“Knowledge or death, guess I got knowledge.”

* * *

 

Standing across from Kuron, Keith has to crane his neck to make eye contact. He’s used to it with being half of genes being human.

“This is Yorak.” Kolivan had not introduced him to any new members in a while, despite this Regris still seems to find Keith being referred to as Yorak as amusing as he did the first time years ago, clutching his sides to feign laughter out of Kuron’s sight. His mom and him had come to an agreement to use Yorak with Blade arrangements. Keith resists the urge to roll his eyes, necessary to appear formal in front of Kuron. “It is not common to work in larger groups, sending you with Yorak’s group will help us evaluate you.”

Kuron’s mouth twitches at the corners, clearly displeased, even if he doesn’t mention it. Keith isn’t sure why seeing that the newest Blade had been absorbing everything that was said.

“I understand.” Being underneath the gaze of the larger Galra motivates Keith to stare back unabashedly,both too stubborn to look away first. Taking the opportunity to take in his appearance, Keith has to begrudgingly admit that Kuron is attractive-- in fact, he could even be considered a perfect Galra if it weren’t for the dark scar that slashes across the bridge of his nose and the patch of white hair he has. Unlike Keith’s mom who has violet marks that run from her cheeks to her neck, Kuron has light marks that start at his cheekbones then move up next to his eyes out to the edge of his hair. It would be hard to try to identify him as anything else besides a full Galra, he has the claws and fangs, but no tail or odd number of fingers. Even if he did have recessive genes of another species, the dominant Galran genes had managed to create the ideal Galra. It was a relief he had come to them instead of siding with Zarkon.

Once the other Blades walk away, Kuron finally drops his stare then offers a gentle smile, it’s a staggering contrast to the way his fangs had extended during the trial, powerful and unyielding. His pointed ears swivel down, no longer alert.

“Do you have any salve?” The question brings up the memory of the injuries the Blade had to endure an hour ago, it’s a surprise to see his posture to be undisturbed by the bruises that had to be forming underneath the suit.

“No,” Kuron’s discomfort finally becomes obvious when he grimaces and Keith has to smile at how his eyebrows furrow. “I know salve isn’t going to help much, I’m taking you to the med wing.” He starts toward it, not waiting to see if the other was following, trusting him to keep up.

Keith doesn’t mind the addition to his team, he knows Regris and Antok are friendly enough be welcoming and he can prove he’s good at leading to move up the ranks. On the way there, the taller Galra admits, sheepishly, that he’s honored to have been placed in his group and Keith almost preens. Blades don’t often compliment each other often, reserving it for special occasions and to hear it from someone as commendable as Kuron feels... _good_. 

Later when Keith leads Kuron to his room, the latter yawns wide enough to present his fangs but manages to murmur a quiet “See you tomorrow, Yorak”, he waves with a bandaged hand. Despite the mauve color of his skin, the bruises littering his body had been hard to miss and the scabbing on his side almost sent Keith into a frenzy. In his room, Keith’s cheeks ache from smiling so wide, he feels his heart flutter at the thought of Kuron and blames it on the nerves of having a new member and not at the memory of how in tune Kuron’s ears were with his mood. He dreams of a fearsome Blade who tears through sentries, stopping only to tilt his head at Keith before waving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this on a whim, I adore Galra Shiro art and I cherish the moment when Keith went Galra for .23 seconds...despite the circumstances. It's not really a fix-it fic for S8, it's more of an Galra AU, but there will be the usual aches and pains of the heart when it comes to these two. Not gonna lie, I was motivated by really cute Galra Shiro art that I'll link once I recharge. When I say slow burn, I mean I'll update every blue moon.


	2. Chapter 2

Kuron was not a brute.

There was an assumption he would spend all his free time on the training deck and he surprised everyone with how often he spent reading the archives. Antok had to deal with same prejudice due to his bulkiness, but with Kuron, seemingly, presenting as a full Galra, he was under fire longer-- they expected him to be more violent as if though “vrepit sa” was the only thing getting through his skull. Kuron didn’t seem to mind, nose stuck in datapads, ears twitching whenever anyone walked past him.

In fact, Kuron has proved to be more attentive than anyone gave him credit for-- he had yet to see Antok and Regris without their masks, he hadn’t mentioned it when they all trained, only bringing it up once he was alone with Keith.

“The Blades are still getting accustomed to my presence, I understand why they would choose to hide their faces and I know some Blades are half-Galra...I couldn’t help but wonder, what race is Regris?” The question awoke a defensive instinct Keith had thought he had repressed, he watched Kuron carefully as he spoke.

“Why do you ask?” There were other questions building up behind his pursed lips that would’ve spilled out when he was much younger when he let his temper get the best of him. His tone would’ve been much harsher if he were still a teen struggling on Earth with his identity, feeling ostracized for being different. If Kuron thought Regris wasn’t a worthy Blade because of his race being _less_ than Galra, he would see that Kuron spent his time--

“I’m curious. His mask has a different layout from ours, while it isn’t uncommon for three lights, I can’t place my finger on which race would have eyes in the same...order as his.”

“You don’t need to know, it doesn't impair his ability to carry out his tasks.” It was harsh treatment considering Kuron was still trying to adapt to their dynamics, but the question had hit a nerve. Keith was half-Galra, if Kuron was doubting Regris, what would he say about someone who was half human?

For the first time since his trials did Kuron scowl at Keith, no resentment beneath his stare. Instead of protesting Kuron nodded and walked away, guilt twist his gut-- Kuron had already been struggling to integrate himself with the other Blades, for his commanding officer to dismiss his questions would surely disrupt any interest in forming a better relationship.  Keith didn’t see Kuron until the next day for a meeting. The squadron was already in the room; infiltrating Galra ships required more planning and Ulaz, their insider, had sent updated information on the base they would pour over. Antok was tapping his fingers against the table, while Regris showed Kuron the data processor attached to his armor. Regris waved his free hand, gesturing to various signals on the holographic screen which Kuron watched with wide eyes, entranced by the colorful display. Settling next to Antok, Keith nudged him and nodded at the other two Blades.

“They seem to be getting along.”

“Yes,” Antok allowed his mask to simmer away, revealing his sunny disposition. “I heard Kuron asking for help with the processor.”

“He did well on the simulations, he doesn’t need help.” It was true, they were all expected to do exceptional with two things they were specialized in. Regris was in charge of hacking and programming, he was also one of their fastest Blades. Despite desiring to be prepared for the unexpected, there was no need for Kuron to be fretting over his own processor because he specialized in piloting and combat.

“There is still a lot to learn that the simulations didn’t offer and Regris doesn’t mind answering his questions.” Finally did it click that Regris had deactivated his own mask, revealing his features that didn’t give away his Galran genetics. The realization startled Keith, it had only been weeks and Kuron had already managed to gain the trust of the squadron. 

Shutting off his processor, Regris looked at Keith at the head of the table and smiled, swinging an arm around Kuron.

“I like him! He’s actually interested in what I have to say.” A blush spread across Kuron’s cheeks, making his scar stand out more, but that didn’t make him appear any less...cute, especially when he had to bend his knees to allow Regris to completely drape his arm across his shoulder. His ears experienced an internal battle of remaining upright and dropping, ending with each doing a different thing as the purple flush deepened. 

“It was interesting.” The comment was mumbled and if it weren’t for all of their enhanced hearing, it would’ve been lost to the background noise of the headquarters' filtration and machines.

“Cute.” Instead of agreeing with Antok, Keith cleared his throat and brought up the new data up on the larger screen. Ulaz had compiled the data neatly by starting off his logs with the day and the hour occasionally including photos he could retrieve until the logs became rushed, the frantic disarray beginning a few days ago. Struggling to read the last log, Keith looks down at his own processor that translates it into English, a feature created by Regris.

> **> > THE CHAMPION HAS ESCAPED**
> 
> **> > THEY'RE SUSPICIOUS, EXPECT LESS** UPDATES
> 
> **> > INCREASED SECURITY, BE CAREFUL**

 

 

The log contained an updated map with the new sentry routes and while Keith was thankful for Ulaz’s work, he couldn’t help but worry about the elder Blade. Ulaz had managed to become one of the most trusted technicians on board which had given the Blades an advantage and never in all his years had Ulaz been considered a suspect-- every log he sent put his life at risk.

“We need to get him out of there.” They had been keeping an eye out the Champion who they had planned on breaking out although they had limited information on him.

They only knew two things about the Champion:

  1. He was Altean.
  2. Using his own quintessence to power a Galran prosthetic, Haggar was planning to make him a weapon.



 

With the Champion on the loose, the Blades and the Galra Empire were racing to find the person who could change the tides of the war.  The base where Ulaz had stationed had been heavily guarded and it would only increase during the search.

“We can’t do that and you know it. Ulaz has to stay under the radar if he were to disembark, they would track him down.” Anxiety laced Antok’s voice at the end even as his expression remained neutral.

“They already suspect he had something to do with it, the longer we let him stay on the ship the more likely it is for them to come across his logs. He’s a sitting duck.” Fortunately, Keith had already explained the metaphor and wouldn’t have to retract the urgency of his statement. 

“K-- Yorak, shouldn’t we also send a squadron to search for the Champion?” A second diagram popped up and Regris pointed to planets near the base, there weren’t many, but there would enough that it would be hard to find one person.

Throughout the entire transaction, Kuron had remained silent, his discomfort clear in the way his ears were flat against his head. Finally, he spoke up and despite never have met Ulaz he sounded shaken up. “What if they don’t find the Champion? What happens then?”

Unable to prevent it, Keith felt the hair at the back of his neck stand up as he went through the possibilities, none of them ended well for Ulaz. 

“We’ll find the Champion, but first we need to get Ulaz out of there.”

* * *

 

Stubbornly,  **** Keith stuck to that plan. He was going to infiltrate the ship.

After the meeting, he lingered in the room to analyze the logs further not realizing Kuron had stayed behind as well until the other Blade spoke up.

“I want to go on this mission with you.” His tone indicated he didn’t want it to be up for discussion, he seemed calmer than before, no longer rigid in his seat.

“Listen Kuron I’m glad you’re willing to help, but this isn’t a regular base and I refuse to put Ulaz in unnecessary danger because I decided to go in with someone as inexperienced as you.” At the time, it seemed harmless, Keith would later see why the comment could be interpreted harshly and why Kuron would bristle.

“I am capable of going on this mission and you know it-- if anything, you shouldn’t be going with how invested you are, you would do anything to get Ulaz back and it could give us away. I look the most like someone who could pass as a lieutenant on board, I could cause a distraction while you get Ulaz. We all know how to override the security codes, but only Regris would be able to track the Champion’s route using the base’s logs of ships. Even if you decided they had a better skillset, I am expendable, I could be left on the ship.”

 

It was the most Kuron had said to Keith, it was also the most heated he had sounded.  Pinching the bridge of his nose, Keith went over what was said. No matter the all encompassing purple of his skin and how big his ears were, Keith wouldn’t be able to pass as a full blooded Galra and they were the ones who made up most of officers in the Galra empire, Kuron was their best bet for a distraction even if Antok was a more experienced fighter. If Regris stayed at the headquarters, they wouldn’t be behind on the search for the Champion.

It made sense.

“Fine, I'll inform Antok and Regris. We’ll be off in two  quintents.”

They had two days to refine the plan and prepare, two days was more than enough time yet Keith couldn’t stop himself from pacing in his room. There was still some tension between him and Kuron from their conversation. As he sprawled out across his bed, Keith hoped he had made the right choice. 

****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's any improvement in my writing, it means the lo-fi playlists on YouTube have done their job, but comments also fuel me. See you next time in the Galra AU where there will be less strained interactions.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on a whim, I adore Galra Shiro art and I cherish the moment when Keith went Galra for .23 seconds...despite the circumstances. It's not really a fix-it fic for S8, it's more of an Galra AU, but there will be the usual aches and pains of the heart when it comes to these two. Not gonna lie, I was motivated by really cute Galra Shiro art that I'll link once I recharge. When I say slow burn, I mean I'll update every blue moon.


End file.
